For Home Schoolers

“Effective study skills are essential for academic excellence, but few students are taught an explicit system for developing study skills. Most flounder around, gradually developing their own methods that might be more or less effective. The Victus Study Skills System is about developing effective study skills and achieving academic goals, but it also helps students apply the same process to other areas of their life such as faith and finances. ‘Victus’ is the Latin word for ‘way of life,’ and students are taught that planning in all areas of life is important.

“The key idea is that students learn to operate by setting goals and making plans to achieve them. Using various questionnaires and charts, students begin by reflecting upon where they are in terms of their study skills. They consider their learning styles. They set goals (and prioritize them) with measurable objectives and action plans. This includes both long-term and immediate goals. As part of the process, students work on skills such as organization and time management, motivation and goal setting, effective study habits, taking notes, and test taking.”– Cathy Duffy Reviews

Many homeschool families have found that Victus is an ideal way to teach the all important study skills. Below are three points to help you see why Victus is a wonderful tool for our future leaders and citizens!

it is perfectly suited for homeschoolers because it:

is only 5 hours in total length

offers some of the most helpful skills students can learn for school and for life

Provides curriculum approach options

It is perfectly suited for homeshoolers because:

it is designed and has been taught by professional tutors who understand the unique challenges of individualized teaching.

skills taught can be immediately integrated and reinforced in all the subjects being taught, assuring true learning and application of the skills.

lessons can stop and start as needed. Time segments of 15 minutes or longer or shorter make it easy to fit into the busy homeschooling day.

It is perfectly suited for homeschoolers because you have two choices in teaching the course:

Student Led: The students can use the DIY Workbook which is self directed and they may or may not choose to use the video as reinforcement.

Teacher Led. The homeschool teacher can teach the students, leading them through the curriculum and may or may not use the video or PowerPoint

IEW Interview

Message to Homeschoolers

Comments from a home schooling mom

Take two minutes and read these very helpful comments from one Virginia home schooling Mom who has used Victus:

“Children need to be taught how to recognize their individual learning styles. Just because I know how to study and set goals does not mean my children do. They need to be taught, and they need to be taught in a way that works for them. Efficient time investment is key. As a home schooling mom, I needed help in knowing how to equip my students. Each of my 3 middle schoolers learns differently. Each needs varying degrees of structure to his/her day. Each has different strengths and motivators. Each has different goals.

“As a family, we took 2 weeks to work through the Victus curriculum. My children enjoyed learning more about themselves, their learning styles, how to set and achieve goals, and how to evaluate choices of how they use their time. Their maturity levels are varied, but Victus helped us have a common ground for discussing and weighing our decision-making processes. They also became aware of and are expected to respect the learning styles of their siblings in our one-room schoolhouse.

“Victus does a superb job of ordering its program to teach students how to personalize their strategy for success. Each lesson builds upon the previous one in a logical, orderly fashion. Short yet engaging analogies, statistical facts, real life testimonies of famous people, plus hands-on practice helped my children stay engaged in the learning curve. They are now pushed to try new skills such as note-taking during lectures (read-aloud history lessons) and outlining notes from texts (overview of orchestra composers/periods/instruments). While their abilities vary, they are all challenged to listen better. They are pleased to find that they also retain information better having heard, written, and seen it at the same time.

“Victus has also carried over to other areas of life such as health (diet, exercise, and sleep), personal sporting goals, musical performance, and fundraising. It reminds me of the quote: “If you aim for nothing, you will hit it every time.” As a family, we are learning how to determine where we are, where we want to be, and how to get there. We are learning how to aim.

Thank you for sharing Victus with us. I know that we will continue to refer to the vocabulary and tools of this study system as we grow through life together. What a gift!”

Comments from a Cottage School Head

Victus is a program that lives up to its name. It truly teaches a way of life. I sat through many different study skills lessons at my private school growing up, and as an educator who works with homeschool families now, I believe that the principles taught in Victus are a notch above the other programs out there. The skills are beneficial in students’ academics as well as in other areas of their lives.

Both my students’ parents and I have been impressed with the emphasis on setting and achieving goals, creating a life mission statement, and with helping students identify their own learning strengths. These are things that were probably nowhere on our students’ radar before. For the most part, students tend to “do what they’ve always done and get what they’ve always gotten.” Victus helps change that.

When students become aware of the principles taught in this system, they are able to make changes according to their personal strengths and goals. What valuable life lessons! Already I have had a student come to me during the course of our journey through Victus and tell me that the things she is learning are really making a difference. Then she proudly held up three major tests each marked with an A!

At my homeschool program, I desire to teach students to be self-motivated, independent learners who are responsible, well organized, and good managers of their time. Victus Study Skills has fit beautifully into the type of education I strive to give these students. I highly recommend it.

Testimonials

“We were thrilled with the results of the Study Skills System. I didn’t realize that my daughter had never been taught how to study or how to use that knowledge to study smarter rather than harder. A great investment in your child’s educational journey!” Cathy Armstrong, Parent